Rotary engine.



No. 742,181. PATBNTED '001'. 27, 1903;,

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ROTARY, ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 22, 1902.

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INVENTOR- 'ATTORNEY.

ma Norms Pnzns no, mo mumn. WASHINGTON, 0 c4 PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903. F.FUCHS. I ROTARY ENGINE APPLICATION EILBD AUG. 22, 1902.

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TORNEYS UNITED Y STATES Patented October 27', 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,181, dated October27, 1903. Application filed August 22, 1902. Serial No. 120,684. Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, FREDRICH FUCHS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Elizabeth, in the county of Union and State of New Jersey,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanywith the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved rotary engine and in thearrangements and combinations of thefparts of the same, allsubstantially as will be hereinafter described, and finally set forth inthe clauses of the claim. w it Referring to the accompanying drawings,in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in eachof the several figures, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improvedmotor with the steam-chest wall partly broken away to show the valve,and Fig. 2 is an end elevation. .Fig. 3 is an end elevation with thesteam chest and valve removed to show the ports more clearly. Fig. 4 isan end view with the wall of the cylinder removed. Fig. 5 is a centrallongitudinal sectionon line to, Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a detached view of thebody portion of an engine in perspective, and Fig. 7 is a similar viewofthe end plate for said body. Figs. 8 and 9 are end and side views,respectively, of the inner movable member of my engine with its hingeconnection attached. Fig. 10 is a detached view of said hinge connectionin perspective. Fig. 11 illustrates the crank-like attachment of therotary shaft to the inner member. Fig. 12 represents one of thepacking-strips, and Fig. 13 shows how the controlling-valve is relatedto the inlet and exhaust ports.

In said drawings, 2 indicates the body portion of my improved engine,which is of substantially annular form to provide a central 3 andadapted to be given rotary movement by the engine. The said inner member4 at the peripheral portions 7 of its sides fits nicely against the endplates 5, but at the central portions of its sides is recessed,as at 8,to receive crank-disks 9 9 on the shaft 6. Between said crank-disksextends a portion 10 of the shaft, which is disposed centrally of thecrank-disks, and thus is eccentric to the shaft ends 6, all said partsbeing in fixed relation. 7 This eccentric middle portion 10 of the shaftlies in a perforation 11 at the center of the inner member 4, and theeccentricity is such that as the shaft rotates the inner member isalways at one point of 'its periphery in contact with or tangent to theinner walls of the body portion. Preferably theshaft portion 10 where itpasses through reach across the width of the chamber and fit smoothlyagainst the inclosing walls 5. In the other direction. it is curved toconform to the curvature of the member 4. At one edge said hinge-valveis pivoted to a tongue 15 on the member 4, and at the other edge it ispivoted in one end of a recess 16 in the wall of the body portion and inwhich recess the entire valve is adapted to lie to permit the movinginner member to pass upon a pin or bolt 17, which preferably entersthrough one of the end plates 5 and extends into the other. Outside oneof said end plates a fly-wheel 18 may be secured upon the projectingshaft,

and at the opposite end, preferably, are ports or openings 19 20 for theentrance and exit of'the driving fluid. Said ports open on oppositesides of the hinge-valve l4, and according as one or the other is usedfor an inlet so the inner member is driven in one direction or theother. Thus my improved engine can be reversed simply by reversing thedirection of the motive fluid.

I have shown in the drawings, referring more especially to Fig. 3, theport 20, outside of the hinge-valve 14, employed as an inlet. Throughthis, as soon as the point of tangency of the inner member with theouter wall of the chamber has passed the said hinge-valve, traveling inthe direction of the arrow in Fig. 3, the steam or other fluid entersbehind said inner member. The crank-shaped shaft havingjust passed itsdead-center, the fluid-pressure upon the inner member carries saidmemher around, turning the shaft, and the exhaust taking place in frontof the traveling inner member through port 20.

Preferably the inlet of the motive fluid is' governed by a valve 21,which is pivoted at the outside of the end wall in which the ports arelocated on a shaft or rod 22, connected at its outer end to an eccentric23 on the main shaft and by which said valve is oscillated to admit andcut off motive fluid at the proper instant. Said valve is surrounded bya box or casing 24, bolted to the body 2 of the engine and forming anentrance-chamber for the motive fluid, as well as providing bearings forthe valve-rod Said valve lies flatwise against the end Wall 5, in whichtheports are located, and its body portion is recessed at the inner sideto cover both the exhaustport 20 and an outlet 25, opening through theedge of the end plate 5 to the outer air, as at 26. Constantcommunication between said ports is thus established by the body of thevalve. An extension 27 from said body of the valve is adapted to slideupon the surface of the end wall 5 and cover and uncover the inlet-port19 as the valve oscillates. Steam is thus admitted and cut off asdesired, said steam or other motive fluid beingsupplied to the valve boxor casing 24 by any suitable means, as pipe 28.

By shifting the valve-eccentric 23 on the shaft the valve can be readilyadjusted in position, so that, instead of as shown, its extension 27will cover the port 19 and its body portion will overlie the outlet 25and port 20. By this means the direction of the motive fluid through theengine is reversed and the direction of rotation is accordingly changed.

In order to secure an impervious contact of the inner member 4 with thewalls of the chamber 3 as it slides around and at the same time avoidundue friction, I prefer to employ elastic packing-strips. Preferablythese strips are arranged on the walls of the chamber, although theymight under some conditions be placed on the periphery of the innermember 4. To receive said packing-strips, slots 29 are cut in the wallsof the chamber 3 at equidistant points and in planes passed radiallythrough the axial shaft 6, and back or in from their months said slotsare each widened, as at 30, preferably by boring in from the end of thebody 2 of the engine, as illustrated. The strips 31 are then fitted onein each slot,

with sufficient looseness to slide in and out freely. Each strip has atits sides lugs 32, which are afforded sufficient play by the enlargedportion 30 of the seat, but which prevent total outward escape of thestrips. At its inner edge each strip is recessed or cut away for itsmiddle portion, as at 33, to receive a bowed leaf-spring 345, whichnormally pushes the strip out into operative engagearound the internalwalls of the chamber 3.

By this means I avoid a great deal of friction and the labor and expenseof lubrication are reduced to a minimum.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is- 1. In arotary engine, the combination wit-h a body portion providing acylindrical chamher having a recess in its peripheral walls and arotatable shaft extending into said chamber and having a crank portiontherein, of a cylindrical inner member rotatably mounted on said crankportion and being tangent at its periphery to the inner wall of thecylindrical chamber, alink pivoted at one end to the inner member and atthe other extremity in one end of the said recess in the chamber-wallsand being adapted to lie whollyin said recess, and means for admittingand exhausting n10- tive fluid on opposite sides of said link,respectively.

2. In arotary engine, the combination with a body portionprovidingacylindrical chamber having a recess in its peripheralwalls,and a rotatable shaft extending axially into said chamber andhaving a crank portion therein, of a cylindrical inner member rotatablymounted on said crank portion and being tangent at its periphery to theinner wall of the cylindrical chamber, a link pivoted at one end to theinner member and at the other extremity in one end of the said recess inthe chamber -walls and being adapted to lie wholly in said recess, andducts opening through the end wall of the body-portion chamber into saidrecess on opposite sides of the said link for admitting and exhaustingmotive fluid.

3. In a rotary engine, a body portion providing a cylindrical chamberhaving for a portion of its periphery a recess extended radiallyoutward, a crank-shaft in said chamber and a cylindrical piston mountedthereon tangent at its periphery to the chamber-wall, a stud or bracketon the periphery of said piston, a link fitting loosely in said recessof the chamber-walls and being pivoted at one end to the body portionand at the other end to the said stud or bracket on the piston, andmeans for: admitting and exhausting motive fluid on opposite sides ofsaid link, respectively.

4. The combination of abody portion providing a cylindrical chamber, acrank-shaft in said chamber, a cylindrical inner member mounted on saidcrank-shaft tangent at its periphery to the inner wall of the chamber,means flexibly connecting a peripheral point of said inner member to thewall of the chamber whereby rotation of the inner member is preventedand a rolling contact secured, and packing-strips projecting from one ofthe said tangent parts and engaging the other with an elastic pressure.

5. The combination with a body member providing a cylindrical interiorchamber and having in the Walls of said chamber slots disposed in planespassed through the axial line of the chamber, said slots being enlargedor widened back or in from their mouths, of a smaller cylindrical innermember within said chamber tangent to the wall thereoflpacking-stripsarranged in said slots and-having lateral extensions lying in the saidenlargements thereof, springs between the bottoms of said slots and thestrips, a hinge-valve connecting said inner member at one part of itsperiphery to the walls ofthe chamber, and means for admitting andexhausting motive fluid.

6. In a rotary engine, the combination with a a body providing acylindrical chamber and having in the walls of said chamber slotsdisposed in planes passing through the axial line of the chamber, saidslots being widened or enlarged back or in from their mouths, of asmaller cylindrical inner member adapted to roll around the inner wallof said chamber, packing-strips inserted in said slots, each havinglateral lugs or extensions lying in said enlargements of the slots, andbeing recessed for the middle portion of its inner edge, and a bowedleaf-spring placed beneath each packing-strip in its said recess.

' In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my handthis 21st day of August, 1902.

FREDRIOH FUCHS.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUssELL M. EVERETT.

